Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
mechanical advantage

mechanical advantage

4.2
How much a machine increases the push you give to do a job
  • noun
  • /mɪˈkænɪkəl ədˈvæntɪdʒ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ventaja mecánica
  • The screw threads in screw-type nutcrackers provide a larger mechanical advantage than lever-type units have, and friction in the threads resists and arrests motion.
  • provide a mechanical advantage
  • range of mechanical advantages
  • different mechanical advantages

So we, we have this amazing mechanical advantage by having a diaphragm.

Examples

  • Teach students about mechanical advantage.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Mechanical advantage -- increase in force developed from a mechanism.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Above all, they provide a mechanical advantage, which can be used to improve the feel or the control of a mechanism, tool, or actuator.

    Academic text (2011)

  • A simple machine does one of two things: create a mechanical advantage (lever) or change the direction of an applied force (pulley).

    Academic text (2012)

  • The mechanical advantage of pliers or tin snips is obvious enough, but a subtler example is the detent positioning of a rotating knob.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Using a lever gives you a mechanical advantage, allowing you to lift heavy objects with less effort.

  • The mechanical advantage provided by the pulley system made it easy for the workers to raise the heavy load.

  • To understand mechanical advantage, consider how a small force can lift a much larger weight when using a ramp.

Synonyms

leverage
vsmechanical advantage
  • Specialized
9 4.9

Extra force you get when using a lever to move something

is a general ratio showing force amplification across many machines

Surface Forms

mechanical advantage singular
mechanical advantages plural

Morphology

mechanical + advantage

A B1 learner who knows 'mechanical' (relating to machines) and 'advantage' (a favorable position) can infer that 'mechanical advantage' refers to a benefit or advantage provided by a machine, so the compound is partially predictable. However, the precise technical meaning — the specific ratio of output to input force and how a machine amplifies force — is specialized and not directly derivable from the constituents, making the expression only partially transparent.

Etymology

Mechanical advantage comes from simple tools like levers and pulleys, where a small push on one part makes a much bigger push on another part. So the phrase means how much a tool 'makes your push stronger'.